Fade To White
by Snodin
Summary: It's hard to move forward, when all your thoughts and memories are moving backwards. [OneShot, part of DancingKirby's Kessha miniarc.]


AUTHOR'S NOTES:

The following fic has been co-written by me- Snodin- and DancingKirby, which she has requested.

This is a dark fic, which takes place in Kirby's "Kessha" AU series. There will be characters out of character; also angst, tragedy, language, and mild violence.

To further understand the context of this fic, you must read DancingKirby's series in this order:

Insomnia

What's Up With Asuka?

Cracked Diamond

Complications

There will be alterations to these above-mentioned fics; it was my idea, but Kirby has allowed it so.

Also, it is set in the second season of GX, so certain spoilers are ahead.

Please read at your own risk, and do try to enjoy it.

-Snodin

FADE TO WHITE

I

**Present day- Morning**

"Are you sure about this, aniki?"

Sho followed Judai up the steps to the red dorm's second floor with worry seeping from his pale blue eyes. While Judai's steps were louder and more confident in stride, Sho's trailed slowly as his knees shook a little.

Judai marched toward Manjyome's dorm room sternly. "He's already missed five straight school days. He's not doing it again."

"But aniki," peeped Sho from behind; "What if he's really sick? What if he really doesn't want to be disturbed?"

Sho's "big bro" replied, "He's not sick, Sho. I know he's not…"

They came to it at last, Manjyome's dorm room. The door was shut, as always.

Judai rapped on it harshly. "Oy! …Manjyome-kun! Time to come out of there!"

No answer.

"…Sanda?" Judai called again; perhaps Manjyome's favored nickname would get a response.

But it didn't.

"Come on, buddy, open up!" Judai knocked on the door even harder. "I know you're in there!"

Sho, on the other hand, leaned his back against the wall in defeat. "Maybe we should just go…"

But then Judai's hand gripped tightly onto the doorknob, and to his surprise, it shifted.

"Stupid fool," muttered the boy in red, "he left the door unlocked."

He slowly cracked the door open like a thief in the night, much unlike his thunderous door knocks. Sure enough, as Judai's eyes peered into the dark room, they caught the elusive Manjyome lying under the covers of his king-sized bed.

"Manjyome," muttered the concerned Judai, as he opened the door fully.

As he and Sho gazed at their friend, all they could see were a few strands of black untamed hair peeking out through the blanket. The rest of him was cocooned; there was hardly even a chance for him to breath a full breath in that tight undercover.

Judai bravely approached his friend and gave what seemed to be Manjyome's back a good shake.

"Come on, buddy. Wake up… It's one-thirty."

The body under the blanket softly nudged, and a small groan was all it could muster.

Judai sighed. "Okay, I know why you're doing this, Manjyome-kun, but it's got to stop. You can't just stay in here and waste your life away. …You're killing yourself."

"Go away."

Judai frowned at the sound of Manjyome's voice; it was unusually weak.

Then finally, Sho approached the bed. "Please, Manjyome-kun. We're just worried about you, that's all."

"And we want you to get back to life," added Judai.

"…Why?" muttered the weak voice. "…So I can win a few more duels? For the school? …I'm sorry, guys… but I just don't see the point anymore."

Judai then dared to say, "What about Asuka?"

At first there was silence, but then at last, Manjyome pulled his face out of the covers and looked at his friends.

"…What about her?"

"She needs you," replied Judai. "She needs you now, more than ever!"

"She hates me," moaned the black-haired boy as he tried to pull himself back under the blanket.

But Judai insisted on pulling the blanket back so that he could see his friend's face.

"She only thinks she hates you… for now. But just wait until we get the old Asuka back, then things will get-"

"What if we _do _get her back?" snapped Manjyome, as he leaned up in bed with renewed strength in his voice. "It changes nothing! It doesn't change the fact that I screwed everything up!"

Judai frowned as he took a step back. "No… None of this was your fault, buddy."

Manjyome froze in place, yet his hands started to tremble. He paused to look at them for a moment; they were uncontrollable.

Then Sho spoke up; "We know you're grieving, Manjyome, and we understand…"

"No… you don't… You can't possibly understand!"

Judai stepped forward again. "We're not trying to make it worse."

"GO AWAY! **NOW!**"

This sudden outburst was enough to make Judai and Sho jump back in surprise. But the two of them didn't run, as Manjyome hoped they would.

"…please… just go …Please." His voice was cracking while he turned his head away from them; he didn't want them to see the tears creeping into his eyes.

Finally, Judai surrendered with a sigh. "…Alright. Okay, we'll go now. Come on, Sho... At least no one can say we didn't try."

The two boys in red and yellow left the room with their heads hung in sorrow. But as they closed the door behind them, leaving the room dark again, the sorrow in Manjyome's heart only grew even stronger. As he turned his legs around over the side of his bed, he began to sob.

It had been nearly two weeks since he had even been outside, but even in that long period of grieving, his thoughts were still focused on that one dreadful night; the night when he lost everything. Even now, it was haunting him like a bad nightmare.

**Eight nights earlier…**

_It was sometime past midnight when Manjyome found himself running like a madman toward the former Obelisk Blue dorm, now covered in white. After many hours of not being able to sleep, he had the strangest feeling that something was horribly wrong. And he was right._

_As he came closer and closer to the dorm by the lake, he could hear high-pitched screams from inside its walls. He knew those screams; they belonged to Asuka. Why she was screaming, he wasn't sure; what he was sure of, was that those screams were pained. He just _had_ to see her._

_By the time he had finally arrived at the ivory gates, the screams had stopped. He barely even took time to catch his breath when he started pounding on the front doors._

"_Open up! Let me in, damn it! I need to see Tenjoin-kun!"_

_It was no use; no one other than members of the Kessha of Light were allowed through the front doors. But still, he tried. Over and over again, his hands pounded on the doors until they were sore._

_Soon enough, they did open. For once, he smiled and breathed a sigh of relief… But then, someone he did not expect to see came through the doors. It was the head of the female dorm and head nurse, Miss Ayukawa._

_Much more disturbing to Manjyome was the fact that the red-haired lady was holding a blue blanket, stained in red; it was lumped, as though covering something very small._

_When the teacher/nurse gave him a glance, she froze in shock. "M-Manjyome-kun!" she gasped. "…What are you-"_

"_Ayukawa-sensei," he bowed slightly. "Please, tell me. Is Tenjoin-kun alright?"_

"…_I…"_

"_I heard her screaming! I heard it all the way from the red dorm!"_

"_You did?" she blinked._

"_Please! Tell me she's alright. I…"_

_His eyes glued themselves to the blood-stained blanket; his voice softened to a halt._

_Miss Ayukawa cradled the lumpy blanket protectively; "Manjyome-kun… You shouldn't have come here… I wanted to tell you privately."_

"_What is that?" he pointed curiously to what was in her arms._

_The lady turned her body slightly, as if trying to hide it. "Please… Come see me tomorrow."_

"_No… I can't wait. You have to tell me now."_

_Miss Ayukawa couldn't bear the thought, but she was trapped now; she had to tell him the truth. She quietly unshielded the blanket and held it out to him very carefully. She would not dare unravel what was inside._

_The first thing that Manjyome noticed made his heart stop. "…It's… blood."_

"_Yes…"_

"…_Is it… Tenjoin-kun's?"_

"…_.Yes."_

_Then at last, it hit him like a bag of bricks to the face. "….is it…. The…"_

_The lady bowed her head in sorrow. "Yes… I'm so sorry, Jun. I did everything I could for them… but…"_

_His whole body started to tremble; he was horrified._

_Miss Ayukawa then explained a bit further; "Asuka went into premature labor; there wasn't any time to get her to the hospital…"_

_The young man whimpered as he bowed his head._

"…_Oh no, no! Don't blame yourself, Jun. It's not your fault. It's no one's fault."_

"…_I… I had a fight with her earlier… If only…"_

"_Jun, don't."_

_But nothing the lady could say could possibly bring peace to his shattered heart. Instead she could only watch as the young man turned and ran straight back to the red dorm from which he came._

_He left a trail of tears behind every step._

II

**Present day- About two hours later**

Judai and Sho had parted their ways with their friend Kenzan a while back, after seeing an intense duel by the volcano. Judai, skipping in his walk, was still feeling the rush from it as he and Sho ventured deep into the uncharted woods.

"How sick was that duel!" he cheered. "When Fubuki-kun got his Darkness mask back, I was like, 'What?' and Kaiser was all like, 'I don't care, I'll kill your Darkness Dragon with my new Fusion monster!' and it was like all, 'BAM!' Heh-hee…. You remember, Sho? Remember?"

"Yes, I remember aniki. It _just_ happened." Sho's stride was slow; he was still feeling hurt by the change he had seen in his older brother Ryo.

Judai nearly jumped for joy as he cheered, "Hyeah! New monsters always give me a thrill!"

"Hmm," Sho hummed as he went on his way, his face tilted toward the ground.

As the smaller teen passed by his "big bro," Judai finally wondered, "What's wrong, Sho? I thought you'd be happy to see-"

"Manjyome-kun!" Sho gasped in surprise, as he stopped in his tracks suddenly with a look of surprise.

Judai didn't understand; "Actually, I was gonna say Kaiser."

"No," Sho corrected him, pointing ahead. "Manjyome-kun is dueling! Look!"

Judai looked straight ahead, and sure enough there was Manjyome in plain sight. Neither of them had expected to see him again so soon, let alone in the middle of a duel!

"You're right!" gasped Judai. "He's out of bed!"

"He's out of the _dorm_!" added Sho, still amazed at what he was seeing.

Just as they had observed from a short distance, Manjyome was indeed dueling- and he wasn't dueling just anyone. His opponent was dressed in all white, with dyed white spiky hair. His name was Gin.

By now, Manjyome had already lost his Y-Dragon Head and W-Wing Catapult due to Gin's increasingly powerful Machine-type monster: a battleship called Victory Viper XX03.

Gin's Life Points were completely in tact with 4000. He had Victory Viper XX03 at 2000, and a face-down card.

Manjyome had 3900 Life Points by now, and on his field: X-Head Cannon (1800 ATK) and the Continuous Spell card, Frontline Base.

"My turn. Draw!" shouted Manjyome.

Nearby, Judai and Sho were in awe, seeing Manjyome as if he were his old self again.

Manjyome made his move. "I'll use the effect of my Frontline Base to special summon Z-Metal Tank from my hand."

Z-Metal Tank: 1500 ATK

"Now," commanded the young man in black, "I'll unionize my Z-Metal Tank and my X-Head Cannon. By equipping my Metal Tank to Head Cannon, it increases my monster's Attack Points by 600."

X-Head Cannon: 2400

"X-Head Cannon, attack Victory Viper!"

"Not so fast," said the whitened opponent. "I chain my Cyclone Mystical Space Typhoon; it destroys your Z-Metal Tank and therefore your monster's attack strength goes down!"

Manjyome could only watch as his monster rammed itself into the opposing battleship, and thus smash into pieces. His life points crumbled down to 3700.

Gin smirked. "And as you know by now, every time my Victory Viper destroys a monster, I can use one of its effects. And so I'll use its second effect, to destroy your Frontline Base."

And so it was done; Manjyome's field was empty, but not for long.

"I'll summon V-Tiger Jet in Defense mode. End turn."

Gin was becoming overconfident now. "My turn, draw! …My Victory Viper will trounce that Tiger Jet of yours…"

And so it did…

"And now, I'll use one of its effects to special summon a Clone Token. This will allow me then to summon one of my strongest monsters. B.E.S. Covered Core!"

Then two small battleships were traded in for one huge one; one with 2500 Attack Points, equipped with spell tokens, and invincibility against battle destruction.

Nearby, Judai and Sho looked on with concern.

Then Gin decided now would be a good time to go on a little rant. "So… how does it feel, traitor?"

"Uhh," muttered Manjyome. "What do you mean by that?"

Gin explained, "How does it feel to be defeated by one of your own? Maybe now you regret ever turning your back on the Kessha of Light, eh?"

Manjyome narrowed his eyes. "I never belonged to that crazy society… and neither do you, Gin! You've all been brainwashed by that maniac Saiou!"

"How dare you! Saiou-sama was good to you, wasn't he? You and Asuka-kun were his favorites!"

"_Tenjoin-kun,"_ Manjyome heard her name in his head; all of a sudden he remembered the reason why he crawled out of bed that afternoon.

"Where is she?"

"Heh," smirked Gin. "She never wants to see you again, not after what you've done to her! You not only walked out on us, you walked out on the one person who actually _loved_ you!"

Manjyome was at a loss for words, when he heard Judai's voice say, "She still loves you!" He turned around in surprise, seeing Judai and Sho approaching.

Judai went on to say, "Asuka may not know it, but deep down she cares about all of us. Right, Manjyome?"

Manjyome didn't know what else to say, except… "Sanda."

Judai smiled, happy to see the old spirit back in his black-clad friend. "…It's your turn."

"So it is," said Manjyome as he drew his new card. "I play Graceful Charity, which lets me draw three new cards in exchange for two…"

Now he only had two cards left in his hand.

"I set a card face down, and then I summon Shining Angel in Defense Mode. Turn end."

"Draw," hissed Gin. Then he looked over his cards. "…Heh-heh-heh. This will be more fun than I expected… First, I'll play Dark Core, which forces me to discard a card from my hand, but in exchange I get to remove your monster from play."

Now Manjyome was wide open.

"Next, I'll have my Covered Core attack you directly!"

Manjyome stood his ground as his Life Points now plummeted to 1200.

"And," Gin said lastly, "to make sure you don't recover, I'll play another Spell card: System Down! It makes me pay 1000 Life Points down to 3000, but in return I get to remove all your Machine-type monsters in the grave from play!"

Manjyome then smirked. "Thank you… you've done the hard work _for_ me."

"What?" barked the whitened duelist.

"I play my Trap card: Return from the Different Dimension! I pay half my Life Points down to 600, to bring back all five of my Machines! Come back, X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, Z-Metal Tank, W-Wing Catapult, and V-Tiger Jet!"

Judai cheered, "Yeah! Way to go, Manjyome; now you'll get your main monsters out!"

Gin stood his ground. "It doesn't matter… Do your worst, traitor… It still won't right the wrong you've done… you know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Manjyome stared him off.

"Yes… I know you know… That incident eight nights ago was all your doing. Remember?"

Tried as he could, Manjyome couldn't forget…

**Eight nights earlier…**

_Long before midnight, the hour which would mark the end of an innocent life, Manjyome Jun had found himself looking upon the lighthouse by the edge of the island. There, standing alone (or so it seemed), was Tenjoin Asuka._

_He had not spoken to her since his transformation from "White Thunder" to his true self; tried as he could to get in touch with her, she strayed. But now he was frustrated; he had to confront her and hope that he could somehow make his peace with her, due to everything they had been through._

_But it did not go as planned; as soon as she saw him coming her way, she flinched._

_Seeing this, he instantly began to plea. "Please, Tenjoin-kun! …I need to speak with you."_

"_Go away," she muttered, turning her head coldly._

"_Will you just let me talk? Please!"_

_He stopped two feet away from her; his heart was now running a marathon._

"_Please Tenjoin-kun, listen to me… The Kessha will get you nowhere. Saiou-sama just wants to use you. He's abandoned so many other people, he'll have no qualms about discarding you as well!"_

"_You of all people," she began to say; her head was turned completely away from his. "You're the one who converted me into the Kessha. YOU were the one I've been following, not Saiou-sama! He's our leader. But _you_…"_

_Now she turned to face him; her eyes were trembling with sorrow._

"_I loved you."_

_Manjyome gulped. "…I… I love you still! Don't you see? I want you to come back to me… Please Asuka-"_

"_How dare you." She turned away again. "You have no right to call me by my first name; you will talk to me with respect, you hear?"_

"_T-Tenjoin-kun?" He blinked, confused._

_She crossed her arms as a faint wind started to brush her hair. "You're not the Manjyome I loved… You're a stranger to me."_

"_But I'm the_ real_ Manjyome."_

"_You're not MY Manjyome. My Manjyome is dead… You killed him!" As her emotions started to get the better of her, Asuka doubled over in pain. She then fell to her knees._

"_Asuka!" Manjyome gasped as he saw the weakness in her body. He tried to rush over to her, but then he heard-_

"_Look, down there! It's Asuka-sama, and the traitor!"_

_Soon enough, a trio of white-clad Kessha boys showed up by the cliff which overlooked the lighthouse. They made haste to where Manjyome and Asuka were; Manjyome saw this and grew all the more anxious._

_Manjyome then quickly knelt down to Asuka's side. "Asuka, please. Let me help you; I want to take care of you, and our-"_

"_No! …Don't you dare... It's not your baby. It's mine. Just MINE!"_

_With that, she gave him a harsh shove, but it took all the energy she had left to do so. Now she started to pant and clutch onto her stomach for dear life._

_Manjyome took a step back. "…Please don't do this. Don't push me away."_

_By now, the trio of Kessha boys had finally made their way into the scene. "Asuka-sama!" they all called out._

"_Hurry," she panted, "…Take him. Get him away from me!"_

_Two of the boys helped her up while the third held Manjyome back by his arm._

"_I never want to see you again!" she cried out to him, just before a shockwave of pain overtook her. She doubled over with a moan._

"_Asuka-sama," said one of the cronies; "We've got to take you back to the dorm now! Come with us."_

"_NO!" barked Manjyome. He just couldn't stand the thought of his lover and child being in that strange society any longer. "Let her GO!"_

_With that, he shoved the boy holding him away, and dared to run over to the other boys that were holding Asuka._

_He grabbed her arm quickly and pleaded with her one last time. "Don't go with them, Asuka! They're evil; they don't care about you! Let me take care of you,_ I'm_ the one who loves-"_

_**POW!**_

_She punched him clean in the face._

_When Manjyome hit the ground, so did she; Asuka had sacrificed her last bit of energy just for that punch, and her legs completely gave in.._

"_Asuka-sama!" cried the horrified boys in white._

_All at once they lifted her up and gently carried her away. It all happened too fast for Manjyome; his head was still reeling from being hit by the time he realized he was all alone._

**Present day- Moments later**

"It's your fault," hissed Gin. "It's ALL your fault! If you hadn't fought with her that night, Asuka-kun would not have miscarried your bastard child!"

"SHUT UP! **SHUT… UP**!" Manjyome held his head in pain as he screamed.

It was time to end this.

"Draw… I now sacrifice my first three monsters to Fusion summon XYZ Dragon Cannon. Next, my two other monsters will form VW-Tiger Jet. Finally, both my monsters will combine to form VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon!"

VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon: 3000 ATK

"I'll then use my monster's effect to remove your Covered Core from the game."

So it did.

"Now… We end this! ATTACK!"

In one fell swoop, the rest of Gin's Life Points were leveled to 0, and he fell to his knees in defeat. Manjyome dared to approach him, but within moments, Gin not only got to his feet but he also took off in a mad dash, leaving more than ten Genex medals behind him.

"You'll never get her back! You hear me? You don't deserve Asuka-sama!"

"….You may be right," muttered the somber victor.

**Present day- Later**

Manjyome had recharged his energy a few minutes later, only to find himself walking aimlessly through the forest with Judai and Sho. The air was filled with the sounds of holographic blasts and victorious (or not so victorious) cries of the Genex tournament. Neither one of the trio seemed to notice them.

After nearly twenty minutes of silence, Judai finally said, "So, Manjyome-kun… what got you out of bed today?"

"Hm?" muttered the one trailing behind with eyes full of guilt. "…Oh. I just figured you were right; I'd have to face Tenjoin-kun sooner or later."

"Manjyome," wondered the small bespectacled teen walking in front of him, "You're not still thinking about what Gin said, are you?"

"Hmm…"

Judai's head turned slightly to face his trailing friend. "Look, you're being way too hard on yourself. Nobody here's at fault but that Saiou freak. If he hadn't come here in the first place, none of this would be happening! ….Well, we may still have Hell Kaiser… But not all _this_."

Manjyome hung his head. "I know I'm not fully responsible for what happened last week. That's not really my main concern anymore."

"…What is?" wondered Judai.

"I'm starting to get some of my memories back… When I was White Thunder. …I remember… Asuka and I had a fight one night. And I hit her…" He palmed his face in shame. "I was so mean to her… I was mean to everybody."

Judai then stopped his pace. "Alright, that it!"

The red-clad boy then turned to face the others- particularly the one in black- head on. He never looked so stern. "This guilt trip has to stop, right here and now! I don't wanna hear another word of it; no more, 'I was so mean, I threatened to kill a kitten.' None of that! What's done is done; can we just let it go now?"

"…What kitten?" blinked a confused Manjyome.

"Nevermind," shook Judai's head. "The point is, dwelling on the past isn't gonna get us anywhere. Now let's get moving, or we're gonna miss some exciting-"

"_A-A-A-AHHH!"_ A Tarzan-like howl suddenly burst through the air.

"...Wow. You really called that one, Judai," said a most impressed Manjyome.

Judai was stunned; he didn't expect anything like that!

III

From Taizan's drawing power to sleep inducing Moke Moke's, Judai and company have witnessed some strange duels that afternoon. But when the scream of a young woman grabbed their attention, nothing else mattered.

The scream belonged to Momoe- or was it Junko?- on the beach a few miles from the lighthouse. The two of them, former friends of Asuka's from the Obelisk blue Girls dorm, had teamed up against a pro duelist. He, the pro duelist, was dressed up as a waiter and a self-proclaimed expert on the richest of alcoholic beverages. His personal favorite was wine, and it showed in his deck.

Sommelier Parker was his name, and by the time Judai and friends entered the scene, he was way in the lead with 4000 Life Points, while Momoe and Junko trailed at 1600 LP.

The boys watched helplessly as Asuka's former friends were trounced by Parker's monster Hard Drinker God- Bacchus; it and its Wine Token partner destroyed all too easily the Mermaid Knight and Rescue Cat on the girls' field. Their Life Points dropped to 1200.

The worst part of it was that Parker, like most of his competitive kind, was now adding insult to injury by yawning, "How sad. This duel was meant to be a taste test, and so far your flavor is quite bland."

Ashamed of themselves, the pair of young ladies fell to their knees in defeat.

Then to everyone's surprise, a pair of white heels showed up. Only one person on the entire island wore white heels…

"Asuka-san!" cheered Momoe and Junko.

Sure enough, there she was, and she hadn't looked so healthy in quite a while. She stared down the wine drinker like a spider would a fly caught in its web. She didn't even care to notice the other boys in the scene.

"Tenjoin-kun," muttered Manjyome with sad eyes; as much as he wanted to call her "Asuka," he knew she would no longer allow it.

"So," she hissed at the Pro Duelist, "you like to pick on girls, do you? I'll take over the duel from here, and I won't even care if I have fewer Life Points!"

So the duel resumed; this time it was Asuka trailing by 1200 LP, while Parker's were still at 4000.

Just as Asuka started to get into her stride by summoning a Cyber Angel, it happened. Manjyome clutched his brow in shock, as if getting a severe headache. Before Judai and Sho could notice, their friend took a few steps back away from them.

He started to shake; it wasn't a seizure or anything like that, but a newfound memory. It hit him like a bolt of lightning, and once it grabbed him, it wouldn't let go…

**Four months earlier…**

_Early in the morning, on a particularly unusual day, Judai was knocked over on his way to the school building. As he lay on the ground, more than slightly dazed, he wondered who could be in such a hurry as to not see him._

_To his great surprise, Judai saw Asuka glaring at him. She was breathing hard from running, and looked very agitated._

"_Will you move, you idiot? I have something very important to tell Manjoume-kun. Not that you would understand. You have not discovered the true meaning of life like I have!"_

_Judai just lay there blinking. Finally, he said, "Why can't you just walk around me?"_

"_Because the ground is muddy and you're taking up the whole footpath!"_

_Judai realized that he was, indeed, sprawled across the path's width. Not realizing the danger he was putting himself in, he said, "A bit of mud never hurt anybody..."_

_Asuka gave a sniff of anger and proceeded to kick Judai aside as she hurried off._

_Asuka did indeed manage to find Manjyome- or "White Thunder" as he preferred to be called- later that day, in the school cafeteria. It was early afternoon; brunch time. The Kessha students liked this hour of the day most of all, for it was one of the few times they could actually stray from the un-enlightened students._

_The two of them flocked to a corner where they could be alone for a moment; it was enough time for Asuka to break the news…_

_He was stunned, to say the least. "…It can't be. …Are you sure?"_

_She nodded. "I wouldn't believe it myself, but I went to the nurse as soon as I started feeling sick."_

"…_But… We're only sixteen!"_

"_I know."_

"_How could this happen?" He now looked angry, which scared Asuka a little._

_She took a step back defensively. "Please, Manjyome-kun! I didn't _want_ this to happen. …Don't you think I'm just as scared as you are? I'm the one carrying this… this…"_

_He sighed. "…You're right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so harsh." He then pulled her closer, as if trying to keep their conversation all the more secretive. "Have you told anyone else?"_

"_No one. Not even Saiou-sama."_

"…_Maybe we should keep this just between us for a while. We don't know what will happen if everyone finds out… We could even be expelled or something."_

_Asuka's fear hadn't left her. "They'll find out eventually… Listen Manjyome-kun, I've been thinking… This doesn't have to be your burden, or even mine. If you want it so, I'll make adoption arrangements as soon as-"_

"_No, don't." Scared as he was for both of them, White Thunder kept his wits about him. "This is the most special gift a couple could ever ask for. I don't care what anyone says about us. I'd rather keep it and let it bring us that much closer together."_

_He then took her hands into his, very calmly. It made Asuka blush. What made her even more comfortable was what he said next: "And please… You don't have to be so formal with me anymore. From now on, just call me Jun."_

"_Alright… Jun." She liked the sound of that name._

**Present day- Minutes later**

No one seemed to notice Manjyome's sudden change in attitude; the duel presumed as planned.

Parker had tributed two monsters for a giant lion-like monster armed with cannons on its shoulders- only it didn't fire cannons, but torrents of… wine? Yes, wine.

By now, Asuka has lost her Cyber Angel Benten, but managed to cut Parker's Life Points down to 1000. It was her move now; she summoned Cyber Tutu, who could have easily attacked Parker directly for the win.

Unfortunately, Parker has a backup plan: a continuous Spell card that kept Cyber Tutu at bay. This put Asuka in a bind; what could she have done now, when she had only two cards left to play in her hand?

She looked at them curiously… One was Holy Life Barrier, the other was White Veil. While she always had Holy Life Barrier, White Veil was a new addition, one given to her by Saiou himself. She could have easily equipped her Cyber Tutu with that card, keeping her monster safe from Parker's defenses, and attack for the win.

What she did instead shocked everybody. "I'll set a card face-down, and end my turn."

"Draw… Big Vintage Magnomouton, attack Cyber Tutu for the win!"

"I activate my Trap, Holy Life Barrier! Now, my discarding one card from my hand, I can reduce your monster's Attack to zero, thus saving my Life Points!"

And with that, she threw away Saiou's card.

Manjyome and company stood there, puzzled… Did she just throw away White Veil?

"Perhaps," muttered Manjyome, "she's trying to win this duel on her own, without Saiou's help."

From that moment on, Asuka owned the duel. She managed to grab Pot of Greed, which grabbed Cyber Petit Angel, which grabbed Ritual of Machine Angel, and the cycle just kept going until she summoned her most powerful Ritual monster yet, Cyber Angel Dakini. With the monster's summoning, Asuka automatically destroyed the opposing behemoth, and attacked for the win.

At this defeat, even Parker was impressed. He fell to his knees and poured a glass of wine. "I toast… to your complete victory."

"A toast," smiled Sho.

"Complete victory," smiled Manjyome.

"Cool!" was all Judai could say.

But then, things changed… Asuka started to walk away, and only stopped when her former girlfriends called to her.

"Asuka-san! Please come back to Obelisk blue," pleaded Junko.

"You're dueling today was exactly how it was before," observed Momoe.

To their surprise, Asuka replied coldly; "How naïve. You girls should fight for your pride on your own, from now on! I'm already a person of the Society of Light." And with that, she marched off.

The two Obelisk girls frowned in defeat, convinced that they had lost her as a friend for good. But the boys weren't so sure…

IV

**Present Day- Sundown**

In the last hour of the day, Manjyome found himself right back where he started: the lighthouse. It was a cold evening; the wind was bringing in a front that would soon be an omen of rain. The young man shivered as he looked out from the cliff which overlooked Duel Island's one and only lighthouse. The light of the tower was just turning on, when he saw her in plain sight. She wasn't exactly alone; she was cuddling a small white kitten.

He had followed her all this way, just as he had stalked her that ill-fated night eight nights earlier. Only this time, he wasn't planning on confronting her- not just yet. He just had to see her again. Little did he know, however, that he himself was being watched.

"You really are persistent, aren't you?"

Manjyome recognized the voice as an old friend of his; someone he knew as a former member of Ra Yellow- someone who, not too long ago, turned away to Saiou's side.

"Misawa," he muttered in surprise, as he turned to face the taller schoolmate.

The silver-haired one glared at him sternly. "I knew you were following Asuka; you just can't seem to leave her alone, can you?"

"You got me all wrong; I meant no harm coming here. I just wanted to see her."

"I know," frowned Misawa, who turned his head toward the ground, as if feeling guilty about something. "…There's something you need to know, Manjyome. You need to know how it is that Asuka has gotten over her grief so easily."

The one in black gulped; he knew there was a reason for all of this, but he feared to know.

"…The other night, Asuka went to Saiou-sama for help. She… Losing her baby just tore her apart. She couldn't even sleep at night… So she went to the one person whom she knew could help her."

"Don't tell me… He erased her memories? ……._All _of them?"

"…Not all of them," shook the silver-haired one's head.

Manjyome glanced back at the young lady by the water, confused and hurt. "…I don't understand, Misawa. How could you follow someone as twisted as that? How could you let him to this to her? To _them_?" He was of course, referring to all of those under Saiou's influence.

"Like you, Manjyome, Saiou-sama meant no harm. He was just trying to help her, to protect her… Just as you did that night when she lost the child."

"So, you don't blame me for that?"

"Of course not."

"Then why are you here? Why are you trying to keep me from her?"

Misawa's tone hardened. "Don't you understand? If she sees you, she could very well regain her lost memories, the very memories that nearly destroyed her."

"But she's going to remember!" warned the one in black. "I saw her today, Misawa; she was dueling just like her old self! I know it now; the Asuka I know and love is still in there, and she's fighting to get out! And when she does, no spell in the world is going to keep her from knowing the truth."

Misawa's eyebrows furrowed. "Would you really want her to go through that pain again?"

"Not alone- we'll get through it together! It was my child too, Misawa. Don't forget that!"

He said this so loudly, the young lady by the sea heard it, and perked up her head toward the cliff in curiosity. By now it was so dark, she could barely see the young man in black who stood next to Misawa. But she knew someone was there…

Meanwhile, Misawa had finally gotten the point, and took a step back with a look of defeat in his eyes. "…You really do love her, don't you?"

Manjyome nodded once, but then he gulped worriedly. "Misawa… You knew me as White Thunder… Was there ever a time, even once, when Asuka was really, truly happy with me?"

Misawa gave a pause to think about it. "…I think she was. Yes. …You were different then; you were colder, harsher… but I think deep down, you two were happy."

The young man in black then gave a deep sigh of relief. "That's all I needed to know."

His time there was up; he no longer felt the need to pursue the answers he needed from Asuka, so before she even knew he was there, Manjyome quietly left the scene.

All the while, the young lady in white that stood in front of the lighthouse looked on, petting her small pet and wondering who that young man in black was…

V

**Five and a half months earlier…**

_It was strange, being in a different dorm. This used to be the Obelisk boy's dorm; now it was completely handed over to the Kessha of Light. And in this strange new society, girls were welcome too._

_But so far there was only one girl. Her._

_She stared blankly outside her new window, overlooking a brilliant star-filled sky and a pale white moon. It was almost symbolic; she felt just as much as an individual as the moon itself. But at the same time, she felt alone._

_That's when a gentle knock rapped on her door. "Come in," said Asuka._

_The boy cracked the door open as if nervously. She recognized that head of wild black hair in an instant. It was the boy who called himself White Thunder._

"_Is this a bad time?" he muttered; he really _was _nervous._

"_No, I just got done unpacking… You can come in," she said more confidently._

_The boy dressed all in white entered the room and observed it; there were two dresser drawers on opposite walls, a queen-sized bed in the center, and even a chandelier on the ceiling. "This place is big enough for two people," he smirked._

_Asuka huffed, "Are you suggesting I get a roommate?"_

_Her question would have to be answered another time. He instead replied, "I know how weird this feels. I've been there. But trust me, once you get used to this place, you'll feel right at home!"_

_Again she turned her head to the window, blank-faced. "…I don't remember what happened yesterday, or the day before. I don't know anyone here; they're all strangers. …I only remember seeing you, in the arena, beating me in a duel. That's all."_

_White Thunder nodded. "I've had some strange dreams. I think I was dressed in black once, and being in the Osiris Red dorm. But it feels so inferior now- everyone's inferior. Only Saiou-sama matters. His goals matter."_

"…_And what are his goals, exactly?"_

"_To bring peace and order to the world… even if it means conquering it and everyone in it. And do you know what the best part about it is, Tenjoin-kun? We get to be there, by his side, as his-"_

"_Slaves?"_

"_No, equals!" He then joined her in looking out the window. "…This world is full of chaos and darkness. There's evil all around us, even on this island. Saiou-sama will make everything right, just you wait and see. We're going to make everything perfect."_

"_It all sounds too good to be true," said his new friend somberly._

"_If it makes you feel any better," replied her new friend, "I'll stay near you. I'll keep you company until you've found your feet. …Would that be alright by you?"_

_Then she finally looked him in the eyes. "…That'd be very sweet of you," she cracked a smile._

_He smiled back warmly. As she turned her attention away, still he stared at her with a warm smile. "…You're so beautiful."_

_She glanced._

"_Um!" he gasped shyly. "I mean the light! The moonlight in your hair! It's beautiful! …Uh…" He gulped as his cheeks started to turn from pale white to a pinkish blush. _

_Asuka couldn't help but giggle, nor could she help but blush in return. "…Are you really going to stand by me? 'Cause I could sure use the company for a while. Being the only girl here, so far… makes me lonely."_

_The boy in white then gently took her hand into his. "You're going to be fine here, Tenjoin-kun. You've got a strong spirit, and determination. I like that about you; you're not one of those girls who wait for a hero to come save her. …Of course, if you _need_ a hero… I'll be around."_

_She smiled, and tried to hide her blush by looking back toward the moonlight. "…It is beautiful."_

_Their hands stayed locked for quite a while after their small talk._

**Present night**

His stride was very slow as he walked back to the Osiris Red dorm. His newest memory of his Kessha days had slowed his stride down to nearly a crawl. Manjyome sighed; he knew now that even under the influence of someone as twisted as Saiou, he could still feel love.

But once he came back to reality, his focus changed. Questioning his past was no longer an issue; now he set himself on a new mission: a plan to get the old Asuka back.

"_If only,"_ he thought to himself; _"…if only it was as easy for her as it was for me. After all, it only took the Ojama cards to get _me_ back to normal. Of course, they're my duel spirit partners… Asuka-chan doesn't have any partners, just a few favorite cards… Cards…"_

Then he stopped in his tracks. "…Oh my God, that's it!" he sputtered aloud. He finally had an idea… a great, marvelous idea.

He took off in a mad dash back to his dorm.

**Present Night- Minutes later**

"Are you sure about this, Manjyome-kun?"

The young man in black had called upon his friend Fubuki- the only member of Obelisk blue who was not brainwashed- to come over to his room later that night. It was only fitting; Fubuki was Asuka's older brother, and just as determined to get her back to normal.

Together, the two of them had spent over an hour digging up hordes of cards from their own private collections. Already there were discarded cards piling up on the floor, as the boys each grabbed a handful of them from boxes they kept.

By now, Fubuki was beginning to question their methods; but Manjyome was persistent. "I know this is the only away, Fubuki. You like to collect cards that represent a person's character, don't you?"

"Well, sure I do!" smiled the slightly older teen.

"Well that's kind of what we're doing here. We need to come up with a small deck of cards that will remind Tenjoin-kun who she used to be."

"I see," nodded the older one, understanding their cause. "…But, are you sure this is all it's going to take?"

"No," frowned Manjyome. "…It's going to take much more than this… We'll need a duelist. Someone who your sister can't defeat, someone whom she harbors great respect for…" On the outside, he wouldn't readily admit who he had in mind; _"Someone like Judai…"_

"A-ha! I found one!" Fubuki snatched card which he had just dug up from deep down inside his own shoebox of collected cards and held it up in victory.

Manjyome looked it over curiously. "…Okay, that one's good. Got any more?"

"Plenty," smiled Fubuki with much optimism.

"Keep them coming," said the teen in black, who continued to squander through his own decks of cards. "We may need more than one card to get the old Asuka back."

There was a period of awkward silence before Fubuki said in surprise, "…You just called her Asuka."

His younger friend gulped. "Meh… Well, uh… Old habit, I guess."

Obelisk Blue's last male member smiled warmly. "I like hearing you say it. It's different; it's not formal. You know? …You should say it more often."

Manjyome gulped; he still felt unworthy to say her name. Even now, as he plotted to get her old self back. "I dunno," was all he could muster.

Then he looked down at the card that found its way to his hand, and stared at it.

"…This one is perfect."

Fubuki glanced at it… It was perfect. It had beautiful art, a strong effect, and a fine rarity to it. Just like Asuka. He nodded in agreement, "Perfect."

"It won't be long now," Manjyome whispered to himself. "All things come in their own time… I know that now. Asuka will come back to me… I mean _us_." He glanced over to his friend nervously, hoping he didn't offend him with his comment.

Fubuki just patted him on the back. He knew what Manjyome meant. Then the Obelisk student took to his feet. "Well… it's been a long day, and I'm calling it a night. We'll do more of this tomorrow, right Manjyome-kun?"

"Right," nodded the younger one. He looked at the clock nearby; it was late- almost midnight, in fact. It was an hour he wasn't quite fond of.

"Goodnight," they said to each other before they parted ways.

It was soon past midnight, but Manjyome was still wide awake. Sleep wouldn't come easily to him on this night, for he was still so focused on choosing the right cards for the big day. Eventually, he would decide that he only needed two or three. It didn't seem like much, but it felt like enough.

By then he had decided to himself once and for all that this would be Judai's fight, not his. After all he's put Asuka through, he felt unworthy of her. And besides that, Judai was the better duelist. He had to guarantee Asuka's defeat in order for this plan to work.

Right before 1:00 am, it was done. The cards that he would soon add to Judai's deck were chosen, and so he put them beside his Ojama cards on the table beside his bed. The Ojamas, meanwhile, took it upon themselves to keep the cards safe; they even chose to keep quiet so that their aniki could sleep.

And sleep, at last, he did. No more strange memories, no more waking dreams; by 1:15 in the morning, he was finally at peace.

**End…?**


End file.
